Where are all these Purple Grackles coming from? This morning they were all over the woods in back-staging I believe. But - I saw an interesting conflict between a Flicker and a Grackle.
On an old tall dead tree in the woods, a family of Flickers were gathered together feeding about this tree. Then a Grackle came over to a young Flicker and confronted it, chasing the young woodpecker away. The young Flicker flew off, but then an adult Flicker confronted the Grackle and chased it off in direct pursuit! Did I just witness parental protection of young by a Flicker? I believe I just did...
Paul Carrier - Harwinton